#148 - Ronald Hutton, Professor of Paganism and Witchcraft
The Witch Wave
Pam Grossman
4.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2025
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ronald Hutton is a professor of history at Bristol University. He is a leading authority on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and on global context of witchcraft beliefs. He is the author of seventeen books, including The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft, The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present, and his recent book, Queens of the Wild: Pagan Goddesses in Christian Europe: An Investigation.
Ronald frequently appears as an expert on Paganism and witchcraft on British television and radio programs too numerous to name (though one of Pam’s personal favorites is when he pops up in the hilarious docu-parody series, Cunk on Britain). His work has been trailblazing in the realms of academia and religion, as well as in shaping a more humane geo-political response to the very real witch hunting that still happens across the globe. Ronald was recently awarded the title Commander of the British Empire, an honor bestowed to those who have made a highly distinguished contribution in their field – as he certainly has.
On this episode, Ronald discusses his pioneering work that helped establish the field of Pagan Studies, the boons and banes of his academic view of magical history, and the ever-evolving figure of the witch.
Pam also talks about spiritual lineages, and answers a listener question about what the cards are saying regarding these tumultuous times.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, my friend. I am often asked about how people can get even more witch wave and more magic in their lives overall. And I have the answer. You can join me over on the WitchWave Patreon. This is how you can hear from me and my other magical guests on a weekly basis via my WitchWave Plus bi-weekly bonus episodes. |
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| 1:26.5 | Thank you so much. |
| 1:32.4 | The world is filled with bewitching people, and you might be one too. Welcome to the podcast |
| 1:38.4 | where art is magic, magic is real, and reality is stranger than dreams. |
| 1:48.0 | I'm Pam Grossman, and this is the witch wave. |
| 1:55.1 | Oh, inside you and I'll be afraid. |
| 2:24.3 | Oh, oh, suddenly she's in the night. Oh, my... Hello, Hello and welcome to the witch wave. And oh my gods, do I have a treat for you today? It is certainly a treat for me because this episode features a conversation with one of my |
| 2:36.6 | academic heroes, Professor Ronald Hutton, who pioneered and certainly helped legitimize the |
| 2:46.4 | field of pagan studies. His 1999 book, The Triumph of the Moon, a history of modern pagan witchcraft, |
| 2:58.0 | used rigorous research and engaging prose to tell the true story of modern paganism and |
| 3:05.4 | Wicca. In it, he corrects misconceptions, such as the idea that there |
| 3:12.1 | was an unbroken witch-cult lineage, as purported by such influential figures as historian Margaret |
| 3:20.5 | Murray and Wicca developer Gerald Gardner. At the same time, the book celebrates paganism and |
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